'If you love your country you will always fight for a comeback' - Mohammed Shami on his return to international cricket

Mohammed Shami is all set to make his international comeback after 14 months during the upcoming five-match T20I series between India and England. The first T20I is set to be played at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Wednesday, January 22.

Shami's last appearance for the national team was during the ODI World Cup 2023 final between India and Australia. The Bengal seamer had finished as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament. After missing important tournaments like the T20 World Cup and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in recent months, the 34-year-old is gearing up for a much-awaited comeback.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) did not rush Shami's comeback, as they allowed him time to get match fit by playing domestic cricket. The Amroha-born took seven wickets in his comeback game in the Ranji Trophy in November and orchestrated an important win for Bengal. He bagged 11 wickets from nine games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at an average of 25.36. Meanwhile, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the right-arm seamer scalped five wickets in three matches at 25.80.

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On Monday, January 20, Shami attributed his comeback to his hunger and passion for playing for the national team.

“I feel the hunger to play for the country should never end. If you love your country you will always fight for a comeback. Even if you are injured 10 times. Those who play for the country, or the state, the thought doesn’t even come that I’ll leave cricket or just walk away. In cricket, when you get injured the first thought that comes to mind is when can I get back? That is important," Shami said during the felicitation ceremony of Bengal U-15 women players organised by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).

"If you are a hard-working person, then you can come back every time, irrespective of the nature of the injury. However, in many matches I play, I feel it is not enough. If I leave cricket altogether, I feel maybe I can never be able to come back and play. When I was injured, even I was watching the T20 World Cup on TV. When there’s a mistake, sitting outside, you feel that should have happened. That we can’t feel on the ground. You need to have that hunger in you. It is about that blue Indian jersey, that hunger should be in every player that you can get that one chance to play for your country," Shami added.